


Among my Souvenirs

by orphan_account



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drugs, F/F, F/M, Ill add more tags as I go along, Smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:41:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22413412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Marceline's moved school for a total of thirteen times and she's gotten the hang of it. Three rules is all it takes, 1: Don't get attached, 2: Don't fall in love, and 3: Never break rules number 1 and 2. So when she moves to Oakland Ordinale Ojai or Ooo, as the people call it, she finds the people and the environment the same as every place she's been to. But something is different about Ooo and Marceline might have to break a few rules (or a few bones) to survive.OrThe College AU no one asked for.
Relationships: Jake the Dog/Lady Rainicorn, Princess Bubblegum/Marceline
Kudos: 5





	Among my Souvenirs

Marceline watches the buildings and houses going by her window, the sun's setting a golden glow in the car, making everything look like it came from a fairy tale. To Marceline, though, it looks just like every place she's been to. Moving a lot does that to someone and it has done numbers to Marceline. 

To Marceline, everything just seems bleak and bland, different shades of grey mushed together to make a halfhearted picture of something that's supposed to be beautiful and grand but instead seems stilted, like it's attached to strings that's controlled from up above to perform the perfect symphony, the flawless performance.

"I'm sorry we had to move again, sweetie." Hunson says from the driver's seat, he glances at his daughter with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. 

Marceline is determined in looking straight outside her window as she prepares herself to hear one of his speeches whenever he decides to pick her up and move abruptly. "Ooo will be good to us, I know it. And this will be the last move, I promise." 

"It's a paper town, daddy." Marceline says, she shifts uncomfortably on her seat. Two seconds in his horrid speech and she already wants to jump out of the car, whether it's moving or not. Preferably moving, if Marceline is honest with herself. 

Hunson breaths out a chuckle, some genuineness creeping into that professional smile of his, the smile he uses to fool gullible idiots into accepting his offers, to show sincerity that's obviously not there. It was the one he uses when he tells Marceline that they were moving but not to worry because it'll only be once or when he tells her that him and her mother just have some issues to go through and that they'd be one happy family when it's all over. It's fake and Marceline kind of wants to wipe it off his face with... something, _anything_ that can get him, her own fucking _father,_ to show some real emotion towards her. 

"A paper town with good opportunities." Hunson agrees and soon enough he stops at a two story building. It's a stark contrast from what they were used to, which were penthouses and lofts, not... houses that looks like it belongs to a happy and content family, certainly not to Marceline and Hunson Abadeer. 

Marceline heaves out a sigh before stepping out of the car. She opens the back door and grabs her guitar case before turning to her father. "Where's my room?" She asks. 

Hunson barely misses the roof of the trunk when he pops his head back out, a box already in his arms. "Oh. Up the stairs, pick whichever?" He says.

She barely contains an eye roll before marching inside the house. She doesn't even pay attention to the layout and goes straight to the door at the end of the hall. She opens to see it have a slanted roof, there's a beat down bed that's in between two wooden pillars that, if Marceline's honest, looks as stable as the volcano in Sakurajima, and a study table attached to a cabinet pushed to the side, other than that the room was bare. Marceline already decides that the study table would be where her souvenirs would be placed. 

She looks out the window to see a perfect view of their lawn and she noticed how their grass is overgrown and wilted whilst everyone else's looked perfectly trimmed and unbelievably green. _I bet the neighbours are total fakes._

"Marceline! Come help with the stuff!" Hunson calls from downstairs, Marceline bites back a groan and looks back at her axe bass before leaving. "Wait a bit, love. I'll come play with you in a minute." She says before padding downstairs. 

It takes an hour to get all their stuff inside, it usually doesn't take long because the Abadeers are used to moving but Marceline kept cracking jokes and Hunson would uncharacteristically join in so the process was slow. When it's done Marceline's cheeks are a bit sore from all the smiling and her arms and back were killing her so she resigns herself to the couch. Hunson joins her a while after, a glass of water in his hands. 

Marceline takes it, "Where'd you get this?" She asks. 

Hunson shrugs. "Dunno. There was this pitcher in the fridge and--" 

Marceline thinks of all the worst things that could be in that pitcher and she places the cup on the table with a grimace. "I don't think it's safe to drink from an unknown pitcher, dad. Especially when we've just moved in." 

"It can't be _that_ bad." Hunson defends, taking the cup and sipping from it. He spits it out the second it touches his tongue. "Okay. Definitely contaminated." 

She snorts, opening her mouth to comment when their doorbell rang. The two look at each other weirdly before Hunson got up and went to answer the door, Marceline following close behind. 

“Hi! We’re Martin and Minerva Mertens, your neighbour next door. We just saw you move in and we wanted to give you this.” The woman with blonde hair and blue eyes spoke. 

Hunson looks taken aback before quickly evening out his features and plastering on his business smile. “Thank you.” He says, taking the fruit basket. Marceline was already eyeing the strawberries scattered within. “Hunson Abadeer, pleased to meet your acquaintance. Oh! And this is my daughter, Marceline.” He steps aside to reveal his daughter.

Marceline just nods and the Mertens brighten at the revelation. “We have a son about your age! Finn, he’s attending his college here.” Minerva says. 

“Where will you be attending, kiddo?” Martin says, flashing her a smile. 

Marceline shrugs, not offering any words and leaving Hunson to end the conversation. “Well, thank you again Mr. and Mrs. Mertens—“ 

“Feel free to call us Martin and Minerva, it’s fine!” The man says, laughing heartily. 

Hunson’s smile is strained but he continues none the less. “Then, Martin and Minerva, we simply must get going. A lot of unpacking to do.” He says.

”Of course, of course. We didn’t mean to keep you, we just wanted to give that as a welcome gift. See you around, Hunson!” Martin says and he looks at his wife lovingly before retreating to the steps.

Hunson closes the door and blows out a sigh. 

“Tell me again why we aren’t in a penthouse?” Marceline asks, popping a strawberry in her mouth. 

“It’s a small town—“ 

“A small paper town.” Marceline corrects.

Hunson shakes his head and makes his way to the kitchen, Marceline in suite. “It’s a small paper town, there are no penthouses here.” 

“Oka _ay_...” Marceline starts and she knows that her next word will deliver a blow. “Why not a mansion then?” 

Her father laughs. “A mansion? Come on, Marceline. You should know by now that we’re not planning on staying—“ He cuts himself off, frowning at himself for the slip up. 

Bingo. 

He clears his throat. “Anyways, help yourself to the fruits.” He says, sighing before going back to the living room. 

Marceline stares at his retreating back and then at the fruit basket. She grabs all the strawberries before heading upstairs to play her bass. 

* * *

Marceline grabs her timetable and looks at the first subject. AP English Literature. Marceline makes her way to the building where her class is being held and she takes her time in slow deliberate steps, just observing the people that surrounds her. 

She feels something in her gut, an uneasy emotion that she can't quite place. It feels like she's just floating, there but not really _there._ Like she's in her own world while the others are living in the same one, like everyone is in technicolour and she's in monochrome, like she doesn't _belong._

Which is partly true, Marceline's been around so much that she's long ago accepted that she belongs nowhere.

A passing being with no permanent place to be. 

Marceline knows that... so why does it make her feel so empty? 

Her fingers itch for the strings of her bass, it happens whenever she feels her chest cave in. She lets herself be lost in the music, lets herself imagine that maybe--someday--she can find a place to call home. 

She reaches her class with three minutes to spare and she drags her feet to the back, plopping herself down at the chair nearest the window. She watches the people trickle in and spots a boy with bright blonde hair wheeze in quietly just as the teacher entered. He takes the steps up towards the back and Marceline rolls her eyes when he decides to sit beside her. 

He's panting and he looks like he's run all the way to class but he still manages to wave and smile at the people who greeted him. _Great. A popular kid._

It's not that Marceline has anything against people like him, it's just that people like him do tend to be bullies. Though, Marceline isn't sure he's the type to bully people. He's got a goofy grin and a boyish face, it'd be hard to intimidate people with a face like his. 

Well, it's not like this is high school anymore, so Marceline doubts there's cliques. 

The professor tells the people to take the books she's assigned them and to do a bit of light reading for the rest of the period since they've been ahead of schedule. The guy beside Marceline takes his book out and glances at her when she doesn't make a move. "I haven't seen you before." He says, smiling gently at him. 

"No shit, Sherlock." Marceline bites back. 

The guy seems startled but lets out a quiet laugh. "I'm Finn. Finn Mertens, are you new?" Finn says, holding his hand out.

Marceline eyes it warily and looks back at the classroom instead of taking it. "I'm starting to wonder how you got into AP if you're this slow, kid." 

Finn laughs again, retracting his hand in the process. He seems to be immune to Marceline's snark and glare, something that Marceline isn't used to. Usually, snark and glares are the perfect recipe for annoying people to stop bothering her but Finn takes all of it in stride. Marceline's afraid she's lost her touch. 

"Oka _ay,_ well. What's your name then?" 

Marceline stays silent and Finn pushes on. "Hey, look. We've got a test coming up and I just want to help. You've got a lot of catching up to do, you know? Not to mention a lot of balls too if you transferred this late." He says. 

Marceline doesn't really mind that there's a test coming up or that she has a lot of things to catch up on, she's resigned herself to do the bare minimum to pass because she's certain she won't stay for long. 

Maybe it's something about Finn's boyish behaviour or his easy smile, maybe it was the feeling of floating that she felt when she was walking to class earlier but either way when Finn begins to retreat to himself, she says, "Marceline." 

"What?" 

Marceline shoots him a leveled glare to which he responds with his own smile. There's something off about it, Marceline notices, but she has no interest in finding out what. "I'm not going to say my name again, kid." 

If it's even possible, Finn's grin grows wider. "Let me see your schedule." He says and when Marceline doesn't budge he continues, "Come on, Marceline." 

"So you did hear my name." 

"Just wanted you to say it again." He holds his hand out and Marceline relents, shoving the piece of paper that's already crumpled to him. He scans it over and nods to himself. "Okay, we can help you catch up on all of this." And to Marceline's surprise, Finn gathers all of his things save for his book, which he gives to Marceline before making his way out of the room. 

"Wait, Finn. We as in plural?" Marcelin hisses and Finn just laughs again before taking the steps two at a time. "Finn, we as in plural?" She says more exasperatedly. 

It catches the attention of a few students along with the professor. "Mertens." She simply says. 

"Football practice, coach is looking for me." He explains and the professor waves him off, he gives Marceline a thumbs up before exiting the classroom and she groans, burying her face in her arms to hide a smile. 

Suddenly, her chest feels a little bit lighter. 

**Author's Note:**

> Monachopsis - a weird feeling that you're out of place. It's a small feeling, but persistent.
> 
> Football or in American terms, soccer.


End file.
